smartphone menu rubriken

Country: East Africa

Rich Saudis are investing millions in building mosques in Africa. And they are being accused of using radical preachers to destabilise the region. But there has long been much more at stake on the African continent than proselytising. By Gwendolin HilseMore

As genocidal violence broke out against the Tutsis in Rwanda back in 1994, it appeared no-one was safe. But one small religious minority refused to take part: Rwandan Muslims. They mounted peaceful resistance to the horrors, saving many innocent lives in the process. By Markus WeingardtMore

Boko Haram in Nigeria, Al-Shabab in Somalia: Islamist groups dominate the image of Islam in Africa. Yet it is too simplistic to assert that Islam south of the Sahara is becoming more conservative as whole. By Daniel PelzMore

The Islamic Declaration on Climate Change, endorsed in August by Islamic scholars from around the world, calls on countries to phase out greenhouse gas emissions and switch to 100% renewable energy. With 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide, the collective statement sends a strong signal ahead of the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit later this month, and the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris in December. By Noor al-Hussein, Queen of JordanMore

Somalia, Kenya and their neighbouring countries are increasingly being haunted by extremist violence. This essay assesses why this region has become a hotbed of Islamism and why one-dimensional military interventions by external forces have not delivered the desired results. By Emmanuel KisianganiMore

This is not the first time that Europe has faced a wave of desparate refugees. Nor is it the first time that its response has left a lot to be desired. According to Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the continent should recall its past when considering how to deal with the people who are willing to risk everything crossing the Mediterranean to reach its shores More

In contrast to their earlier tactics, militant jihadists are increasingly turning away from attacking the West to concentrate on more local and regional targets. Albrecht Metzger reports on the current change of strategy in the activities of Al-Qaeda and its alliesMore

For the some hundred thousand tourists that visit Zanzibar each year, the island is paradise on earth. Yet, beyond the calm of its tourist venues, religious tensions on the island have been increasing. The attacks on churches, hate tirades by preachers, and leaflets inciting violence are but mileposts of a growing religious radicalization. Danja Bergmann reportsMore

An expert on militant Islamism Guido Steinberg says the attack on a Nairobi shopping mall by the Al-Shabab militia shows that the Somali-based conflict is spreading to neighbouring countries. Interview by Philipp SandnerMore

﻿Over the past few years, interest in the fate of Somalia has increasingly faded into the background. And as books about the country are a scarce commodity, it is all the more welcome that Marc Engelhardt is now sharing his wealth of experience and solid knowledge about Somalia. By Laura OvermeyerMore

﻿The Afro-Turks, whose ancestors came to the Ottoman Empire as slaves in the nineteenth century, are still struggling for recognition. Now, though, their desire to assimilate into the wider society has become greater than their desire to maintain their own identity. By Ekrem Eddy GüzeldereMore

﻿After years of struggle, many of the Tuareq rebels have switched to making music in order to promote their people's cultural identity. One of the most remarkable "former rebel musicians" is Omar "Bombino" Moctar. Richard Marcus introduces the man and his musicMore

A French-Senegalese author has raised his voice in protest. Tidiane N'Diaye accuses Arabs of not acknowledging their responsibility for the slave trade. He demands an explanation, yet sheds very little new light on the situation himself. A review by Moritz BehrendtMore

After 15 years of anarchy in Somalia, Islamists have taken control of large parts of the country. But the growing influence of the Union of Islamic Courts and the rise to power of extremists threaten to embroil the entire region in war. By Marc EngelhardtMore